


Decluttering

by glindalovesshoes



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 22:37:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11587605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glindalovesshoes/pseuds/glindalovesshoes
Summary: In order to get over his death, Regina makes the decision to clean Robin's clothes out of her closet. The discovery she makes leaves her with heartbreaking closure.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I saw a sp about the S7 Regina and she was wearing a ring necklace… This is my take on where it came from. Thanks to Polly for giving me the idea and Grace for betaing!

 

It's been three weeks. Three crazy weeks when you look at all that happened. She split herself, Mr. Hyde came into town, the ship from the Land of Untold Stories crashed down in Storybrooke and her evil half, the Queen, is trying to transform the town into chaos. It's been three weeks, but this morning, when she went to her closet in order to pull out the beige silk blouse, one of _his_ shirts slips from the hanger. And with it, her emotions.

 

Regina doesn't know how long she stares at the dark blue tee before she bends down to pick it up. _He_ didn't have a wide selection of clothes, justifying it by telling her _why buy lots of different things when I like these?_ She'd tried to argue with him about it, dragged him shopping one time, but they wound up finding more things for her instead of a new wardrobe for him. So with the few shirts, pants and jackets that occupied a rather small space in her closet, it has almost been too easy to forget his clothes were still there. Almost.

 

Pressing the shirt against her face, she catches a slight whiff of forest and something that is just _him_. And why? Why? She's tearing up, stumbling backward until her calves hit the side of the bed and she can finally sit down, the shirt still pressed to her face, soaking up the tears. Why is she still not over it? Why do little things like this, like a simple shirt, make her break down as if his death only happened yesterday?

 

_He_ died for her. Fuck, _he'd_ thrown himself in the way between her and Hades' crystal, not thinking at all. The idiot. Regina is still not sure why and at the same time she’s never been more certain. Because _he_ loved her. It's hard to believe, but _he_ loved her so much that _he_ died to protect her. It's not fair, none of this is fair and when she looks around, it seems like everyone is able to bring back their dead loved ones, except for her. She's never been this lucky. The rules of destiny were unfair, seem to make an exception for everyone… but Regina doesn't get an exception. She's a villain. No matter how much she's changed, maybe she still deserves to suffer for the sins of her past.

 

It's a good thing Henry isn't here, because he would tell her the opposite, that she's changed, that she's a hero now, but deep down, Regina knows. Even splitting herself and crushing the Evil Queen's heart didn't help, just brought more trouble to the town for which she deems herself responsible.

 

She takes a deep breath, once again catching a hint of _him_ which calms her down immediately as if _he_ wanted to say _stop this - you're wrong._ Thinking of it, that's probably exactly what it is. Slowly, she dries her face with the shirt, smoothing out the wet spots and wonders whether she should wash it. But if she's honest with herself, there is no point. As much as it hurts to think of it… She has to let go of him and maybe, maybe it is time.

 

This is how she finds herself later in the afternoon with a moving box, labeled with thick dark letters of _his_ name. She's alone in the house; Henry is staying with Emma, the pirate and the Uncharmings because it's safer for him. Whether that's true or not, she’s not sure, but she hadn't been in a good place when the decision was made and didn't have the energy to protest. Maybe Snow had tried to give her space. She doesn't know.

 

It's a simple thing, putting some shirts and pants into a box. Well, it should be a simple thing, but when it's the last physical remains of your soulmate, it makes it a thousand times more difficult. Where does she start? While she's telling herself to _just get it over with!_ , her body isn't moving at all. Why is she so powerless, why does she have no control?

 

Damn it, Regina.  Damn it, damn it, damn it! With every 'damn' she reaches into the closet, pulling out one article of _his_ clothing and throws it behind her. She doesn't care if she doesn't hit the box, just wants to get _his_ stuff out of the closet. One by one, in a state close to blind rage, she throws the things behind herself until there is nothing left other than _his_ dark green jacket. It somehow seems stuck on the hanger, so she rips and rips, until it comes off and falls to the ground in front of her. One by one.

 

Out, everything is out. Her bedroom is a complete mess now. _He_ is everywhere. _His_ scent is everywhere and she can't stand it any longer, sinking down onto the ground, she starts crying. Why? "Why did you have to die, Robin?"

 

Regina doesn't know how long she's been sitting there, sobbing, burying her face in her hands, thinking and overthinking everything that happened. It's only when she looks up and the sky outside is turning almost dark that she realizes she has to stop. She has to get herself together, knows this is hard. She allowed herself one more breakdown and this was it. Now it's time. Slowly, Regina wipes her tears away and takes a deep breath before looking at the mess in her bedroom.

 

The moment she tries to push herself up from the ground, her hand lands on something hard, hidden in one of Robin's jacket pockets. Carefully, she pulls the jacket open and is surprised when a little black velvet box falls out. Her breath catches in her throat as her shaking fingers pick up the box, tentatively opening it. "Oh, Robin…"

 

Inside, a bed of white velvet reveals a matte golden ring with three white brilliants. The thought that this ring was most likely meant for her is so overwhelming she cannot help the tears which are once again spilling over. She should wonder when he got it, when he was going to ask her, how he would have staged the proposal, but instead her mind is quiet. So quiet, her mind is blank as she stares in wonder at the engagement ring in her hands.

 

A sudden warmth fills her heart. It's something she cannot explain, it just happens, like a caressing touch of Robin's strong hands. A smile pulls at her lips the moment she feels it and she knows, deep down, that he's there. In her heart, where he will always stay. It doesn't matter that Robin's not physically there to ask her herself, Regina knows what her answer would have been.

 

"Yes. I do." she says in a soft whisper and puts the ring on her finger. A perfect fit. Just like she and Robin.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I wasn’t planning on writing a second part, but the lovely Trenesha gave me such a great prompt that I just had to finish this up quickly. Thanks so much to her and the amazing Grace for betaing! Enjoy and please let me know what you think.**

 

**Part II**

 

Two days later, she's invited to dinner by Snow. Well, invited might be the wrong word since Snow rather insisted she come.  _ You can't barricade yourself in your vault forever, Regina!  _ were her words when she showed up on her doorstep the previous night, curiously eyeing the box resting next to the entrance, ready to be carried down into the basement. 

 

_ I have a problem to take care of - a problem you talked me into creating  _ was her response back, knowing exactly how much of a low blow it was. Snow had only meant to help. And yes, Regina agrees, her intentions may have been pure, but it backfired in the worst way possible. She very well knew Snow was probably beating herself up over this, blaming herself for talking Regina into splitting herself, but even though her other half might be evil, she was the petty one. Petty, but also willing to let a pair of puppy eyes guilt trip her into agreeing to said dinner. Without Emma and the pirate. 

 

So, that’s how she finds herself here 24 hours later, pacing in front of the loft, not really sure whether she should knock. She's a little bit too early, but that's because she'd taken half the day in order to mentally prepare for the evening, to practice a smile in the mirror and think of safe topics to talk about. Regina can hear the clattering from the pans and plates inside. Someone seems to be setting the table. 

 

Her fingers are absently playing with the engagement ring on her finger, the one she hasn't taken off since she placed it on her finger two days ago. She needs to stop this. It's a nasty habit and it draws way too much attention to Robin’s ring, but the thought of taking it off was even worse. Instead, Regina balls her hands into fists, pressing them to her side whilst mentally cursing herself. So what if she's wearing a new ring? Nobody will notice. Nobody will know. 

 

Taking a deep breath, the mayor is readying herself to knock, when the door is swinging open by itself, revealing her favorite toothy smile. “Henry.”

 

“Mom!” She barely gets time to prepare herself for the bear hug she's pulled into by her sweet baby boy, when Henry wraps his arms around her, almost throwing her off balance. Regina knows she's missed him terribly these past few days but seeing him, feeling him, more than intensifies this feeling of hers. It's safer for him here, she agrees. With her Evil Half dropping by with unannounced visits, she can never be absolutely sure what would happen if the Queen showed up and Henry was there. Evil or not, she wouldn't consciously hurt him - or at least Regina hopes she wouldn't. 

 

“I'm so glad you came,” he mumbles into her shoulder, his arms still wrapped around her, not willing to let her go any time soon. Regina smiles and wonders why she ever tried to decline Snow’s offer in the first place. If the princess had been smart, she would have sent her son in the first place because Regina would never turn him down. But maybe that's why Snow didn't do it. She shakes her head, pulling her lips into a content smile. It doesn't matter now because she's here with her son hugging her tight. What more does she need? 

 

Snow and David greet her into their home with friendly hugs and kisses on the cheek. The irony isn't lost on her but they have come a long way. It doesn't escape her notice that Henry keeps hovering around her, never more than two or three feet away. At another time, she would find the gesture touching, but Regina knows her son is worried about her. More so, because he feels partly responsible for her decision to split herself. They’d talked about it, about what would have happened if he hadn't run off to New York, but Regina had explained to him that sooner or later, living in a world of ‘what ifs’ would break him. 

 

“Take a seat, dinner's almost ready,” Snow chirps, handing David the bottle of red wine to go with the casserole in the oven. Henry pulls her over to the table, asking her to sit down right next to him. It’s nice to have him so close, his presence is calming, almost cheerful. She thanks David for the wine, allows herself one, maybe two glasses, because she didn’t take the car here. 

 

“It smells delicious,” Regina says, sipping at her wine while Snow explains where she got the recipe. She should be listening to her step-daughter’s chattering, but all of a sudden Henry’s mood seems to have faltered. He’s staring at her hand, precisely, at the ring. A sluggish feeling settles in her stomach and she starts nervously fidgeting with the ring, not realizing she’s drawing even more attention to it. 

 

“You… you found it.” 

 

Her heart is hammering in her chest when she nervously bites her lower lip before she asks. “What?”

 

“The ring.” 

 

“Oh… You… You knew?” Her son is squirming uncomfortably in his chair, his eyes looking anywhere but her. “Henry?” Regina asks tentatively. 

 

“I… I wanted to tell you, but I thought it would make you all sad again. I tried to find it, but Robin said he hid it well, and…”

 

A loud clang comes from the kitchen, followed by a hiss and Snow’s worried, “David, careful!”. Apparently he dropped the hot pot with the potatoes into the sink, burning his hand with the steaming hot water. Regina jumps up, rushing over to the couple. His hand is bright red and vibrant, shaking. 

 

“Let me,” Regina offers, not waiting for an answer before she lets white magic seep from her hand over David’s, the red skin slowly turning to its usual color. “There. As good as new.” 

 

“Thank you, Regina,” David mumbles, but she can see his gaze is hung up on the ring on her finger as well. She wonders what the big deal is, why the ring is suddenly the center of attention. Do they know? Is it pity? 

 

“I found it when I cleared out Robin’s things from my wardrobe. It… it was in one of his jacket pockets.”

 

“I’m so sorry, Regina. He was so excited the day we went to get it and…”

 

“We?” Regina asks surprised. Once again, she could feel her pulse speeding up. Could it be? Could they have known?

 

David nods and points over to the table where Henry is still sitting with a guilty expression on his face. Regina doesn't want to sit she wants them to tell her now. But she is not demanding anything. Not when the expression on her sons face is worse than that time he apologized to her for calling her Evil Queen. 

 

“Robin came over to ours a few days before we went to the Underworld.”

 

“He… He asked me if I would be okay with him proposing to you,”  Henry mumbles, still not looking up to her. Regina's heart is aching. It's hammering against her chest and she doesn't know how to breathe. Robin had asked Henry for his blessing? Tears start brimming in her eyes. What did you ever do to deserve such a considerate man? A man who treated her son like an adult. Who knew that he was one of the most important people in her life.

 

“Please don't cry, Mom!” 

 

Surprised, Regina touches her cheeks, finding them wet with tears. She wants to apologize, doesn't want her son to see her like this, crying and vulnerable. But it is Snow who reassures Henry that it's all right. That she has to hear it.

 

“I asked him if he would mind me tagging along and he said it wouldn't be such a bad idea because I've known you longer than he has, so I would know what ring you'd like.” 

 

Regina nods. This is just something Robin would do, to give Henry a feeling of purpose by consulting him on such an important matter. 

 

“The first time we went, was kind of a disaster. I mean, this lady only showed us rings we couldn't even afford and she treated us really badly. I kind of think she remembered Robin from the Enchanted Forest. I had to make him promise that he wouldn't steal any of the rings after we walked out. That's when David found us.” 

 

A tearful laugh escapes her at the thought of her soulmate breaking into jewelry store in order to steal an engagement ring for her.  _ You knew I was a thief when you met me.  _ Yeah. She knew. It would just be like him to do something like this but thankfully her little prince had talked some sense into her hot headed bandit. 

 

“Yeah,” David agrees, “I was driving by with the truck when I saw Robin angrily kicking against one of the newspaper boxes. He seemed quite upset. I offered to drive them to another store the next day.” 

 

“Roland came too!” Henry smiles. “And that day we found out that Robin might be a good thief… but has a terrible, terrible taste in jewelry! Even Roland agreed everything he picked out was ugly!”

 

David winks at her, knowing full well Henry is exaggerating. Robin has given her jewelry before and she loved it. She doesn't know why, but now she is laughing. And crying. Laughing and crying at the same time. Regina can totally imagine that this is what happened, how Robin would pick out unfortunate choices and make the boys feel needed by letting them decide which ring he would be giving their mother. She's never loved him more than right in this moment. Henry reaches for her hand, which she squeezes tight. Regina doesn't believe in coincidence; had she just thrown out the jacket she might never have found it. Instead, she  _ had _ found it. He had  _ wanted _ her to find it, she has to believe that. With a watery smile, she pulls Henry close, pressing a wet kiss to his forehead.

 

“I'm sorry he never got the chance to give it to you,” Henry mumbles and she hugs him tighter. 

 

“But Henry, look…” She's holding up her hand where the stones are catching the light, sparkling in all colors of the rainbow. “He did.” 

 

**THE END**


	3. Chapter 3

**Part III**

Prompt: 91. Robin asks Henry to be his best man

 

               When school finishes, Henry is surprised to see none other than Robin waiting for him at the fence right next to the yellow school bus. It's not uncommon for his mom to send Robin to pick him up but usually she will tell him in advance. The man is dressed as always. Dark brown pants combined with the green jacket and a hoodie underneath.

“I thought you'd be taking the bus home with us, Henry!” Violet says surprised when she sees Robin. “Isn't that your… uh… Robin Hood?”

“It is. Perhaps something important came up and mom sent him to pick me up from school. I will see you tomorrow morning, Vi, right?”

The girl grins and nods. It looks like she wants to say something else, doesn't dare to, instead, she is fidgeting with the zipper of her backpack. Henry bites his lower lip, not ready to leave her standing like this even though he knows she won't be alone on the bus. Before he can think twice, he's pressing a quick kiss onto her cheek, mouthing a quick ‘bye’ and running off into Robin's direction, not daring to look back. He doesn't hear her gasp, nor does he see how she slightly blushes and presses her hand onto the spot where he just kissed her. Instead, Henry focuses on Robin, who looks rather nervously around until he finally spots him.

“Henry.”

“I didn’t know you were going to pick me up. Mom didn’t say anything this morning.” He lets his backpack dangle down from just one shoulder, hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants. Robin takes a moment to reply, seemingly looking for an answer before he lets out a sigh.

“It uh… was kind of last minute. I thought we could go and have lunch at Granny’s?” To Henry, all of this sounds more than suspicious, but who is he to turn down lunch at his favorite diner on the only day school’s out early for his grade. He and his mom used to do it on a regular basis before the curse broke and everything went downhill. Maybe he should ask her to consider making it a regular thing again. But first of all he has to find out what Robin wants.

“Burgers, milkshakes _and_ a sundae for dessert?”

“Anything you like,” the archer answers and Henry wonders if his mom knows about this. Probably not. She’d never let him have all three and would insist on at least a side salad or a bunch of other greens. Ew. This must be something big. Robin either wants to bribe him or has done something he thinks needs bribing. Perhaps Roland stole one of his comics once again… Anyway, who is he to look a gift horse in the mouth?

They do small talk on the way to Granny's. Nothing big really, rather safe topics like 'How was school?' and 'How is Roland?' or 'Do you think you can finally teach me how to shoot an arrow any time soon?' Henry babbles a little, tells Robin about his day, about the good grade he received in a writing assignment, but somehow forgets to mention the math test he only passed because Violet let him copy her answers.

Granny's is busy as always, however when they enter, some of the dwarves are just leaving, so Henry quickly slides into the favored booth before anyone else can sneak it away from them. The moment Ruby gets to them to note down their order, he tries to push it by ordering a double cheeseburger with a side of fries, fried onion rings, extra ketchup and a large strawberry milkshake - his mom would have his head if she knew - while Robin sticks with the usual macaroni and cheese plus a small beer. The moment Henry sees him order alcohol; he just _knows_ something is going on. Ruby just raises an eyebrow at both of them but doesn't say anything. They'll have to make it up to her with a hefty tip in the end in order to make sure she won't mention anything to his mom the next time.

Robin only picks at his food while Henry wolfs down everything just a little too fast. He's considering whether to ditch half of the onion rings for the sundae, but then again, he's a growing boy. Better eat it now than regret it later. So when Ruby clears their table, Henry orders a double chocolate sundae for dessert and the moment Robin doesn't say anything he feels like he just has to be the one to make the first step.

"So, Robin," he starts, taking a sip of his milkshake. "Will you finally tell me what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Robin asks, but is given away by scratching his chin, a habit his mom once told him he only does when he's nervous. 

"Really? Picking me up from school, Granny's, letting me order everything I want… I might be a teenager but I'm not stupid. Mom would have my head if she knew I had all this for lunch _plus_ a sundae."

"I should have said no to the sundae, should I?" the former thief chuckles before he takes a deep sigh. "You're very perceptive for your age."

"Not really. I just think it's funny adults still think they can bribe me with my favorite food and letting me have my way," the teenager smirks, finishing the last bit of his milkshake.

"It's working though, is it?"

"I won't tell if you won't," Henry grins with a wink, pushing the glass away from him. Okay. He's really full and maybe he shouldn't have gotten the sundae. But it's ice cream damn it, it'll fit into his stomach somehow.

"You're right. I wanted to talk to you, Henry. Maybe I should have made a better plan on how to do this…"

Henry's curious now. Whatever it is, it must be big because he's never seen Robin nervous like this. He, the legendary thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor has never been nervous in front of him. "I'm all ears. Shoot. Did Roland rip out a page from one of my comics?"

Robin's eyes shot up. "What? No! No, Roland has given every comic back he hoarded under his pillow. He practices reading with them, so… No. I wanted to talk to you about your mom... Regina."

"Is she okay?" is Henry's first question, because Robin wouldn't make such a drama if it weren't something serious.

"What? Oh, yes, she's fine; she's at the mayor's office. No, I want to talk to you about something that concerns all of us… and I thought of a million ways to say it, but I don't really know how right now." The young man waits, doesn't say anything just listens. It doesn't really seem to help Robin who takes a good long sip of his beer, closing his eyes before he pulls up his sleeve to uncover the lion tattoo. "You know what this is?"

"Yeah, it's the lion tattoo," Henry now answers, wondering where the archer is trying to go with this. He has an idea but doesn't say anything just yet. Perhaps he's completely wrong about it… he hopes not.

"That's right. It's a family crest and I got it on my sixteenth birthday by my father's request. To me, it stands for everything I am, or rather, everything I used to be before I took off and became a better person, the person I am today." He pauses, looking at Regina's son, considering how to go on. "There used to be a time I wished I could get it removed for any price. But then I met your mother."

"According to the tattoo, you're soul mates." Henry knows the story, he's read it a million times and every time he wishes he could just take his pen and change her fate, have them meet before Regina became evil.

"It's true. According to the tattoo and the pixie dust Tinkerbell scattered, we are soul mates. But you know what? I loved your mom before I knew we were soul mates and I think we are meant to be together. Not just by fate, but also by choice."

Henry bites his lip, almost ready to say something about the whole Marian or rather Zelena thing, but he keeps his mouth shut. He knows why Robin did it and his mom has forgiven him for it. That's all that counts.

"Henry, I know what you're thinking. That I hurt her, that I'm not worthy of her… And I agree. I'm not."

"I never said that," Henry protests. "I know you love my mom and she loves you back. You're fated to be together and you make her happy."

"I try to. That's why I wanted to talk to you. Henry… I very much would like to marry your mother, if you will give me your blessing."

The teenager looks up; surprised he would even be asked such a question. He likes Robin a lot, Roland is like a little brother to him and looking at it all, they're a family. His mother has been happy ever since they came back, she's smiling, laughing… who is he to stand in the way of her happiness? Realizing Robin is holding his breath, still waiting for an answer, he smiles.

"I think I like the idea very much. Do you have a ring yet?"

"No…" Robin admits, "I didn't want to jump in front of the wagon. I thought… maybe you and Roland could give me your input on the ring thing. If you can keep the whole proposal thing a secret."

"Talk to Roland, not me. He tells mom _everything_ the moment she bribes him with cookies." Quite an annoying habit, but Henry had gotten around to it by promising him _double_ the cookies if he resisted Regina. Robin chuckles at that, knows how much of a sucker his son is for Regina's baked goods. Like father like son… though he rather is a sucker for, well… _other things._   

Ruby brings the sundae with two spoons and a grin on her face. Of course the wolf has overheard their conversation, but she doesn't say anything. Good.

Just a second before Henry digs his spoon into the sundae, Robin asks him to wait, well, because there is another thing he has to ask. "One more thing, Henry… Will you be my best man?"

This time the boy seems honestly surprised at the archer's choice. Robin has thought about it a lot, the first thought had gone to John or Tuck, men he's known forever, but on second thought, Henry would become his stepson. Nothing much would change, he already loves him like a son, but it's still a step up. So his decision has been made. The only other thing he needs is an answer.

Henry blinks, once, twice, before a sincere smile spreads over his face.

"I would love to. Cheers!" He digs his spoon into the ice cream, taking a mouthful. Today couldn't get any better. He got the greasiest lunch he's had in weeks and his mom is one step closer to the happy ending she finally deserves.

Xxxxx

Weeks later the day they let the wooden coffin down into the cold, dark earth, his mind wanders back to this day, thinking how wrong he'd been.


End file.
